Saying goodbye to an old friend

To the editor:
    Today I removed the tape on the patient. The operation was a success. The previous patient was elderly and in spite of excellent care, replacing parts was not possible. A very good friend had left my world.
    People anthropomorphize animals, even vehicles, seeing human qualities in them, so why not a kitchen range? No longer up to par, with limited usefulness, possibly dangerous to have around, but still my friend, after nearly 48 years. Finding her a new home was out of the question.
    Her demise had been slow. At age 18 she had a minor problem. A wire to a burner was broken, but I fixed it myself, with help from a serviceman at the local utility company, who talked me through it on the phone.
    Later on, burners were replaced, the broiler element rusted out, dropped down, was wired back up, and finally the oven quit. “Sorry, no way to fix it,” the repairman said. No real loss, as I rarely used it, instead steaming or boiling food or using a small stovetop baker.
    The blow came on the phone, “That burner element is no longer available … Yes, but after so many years … You could try online, but the only company I see is in Italy.” He was amused.
    Online I found burners to substitute for mine, maybe, but enough with repair bills. I loved the stove, just not as much as that woman loved her Corvair, having it repaired forever, then buried with her when she died. As with car shopping, seeking a stove brings on a nostalgic kick with flashbacks to stoves in Maine, but that is another story.
    Finally, the left front burner would not turn off. So, pull the circuit breaker and call an appliance store. The saleswoman says, “The 36-inch is no longer made, but we can get a 40-inch. It has two large burners and two small, same as the 30-inch stoves.”
    ”I’ve no need for two large, I explain, “What I’ve had, one large and three small, is fine. The 40-inch would leave no room for my stepstool, and a 30-inch would leave little space for storage. Say, do you have an apartment-sized stove? It’s 20-inch? Perfect.”
    It really is perfect for me. Cute, with square feet that appear ready to walk, and room left for a walnut-finish utility stand on the left for storage and work space.
    Control knobs on the front of the stove are convenient, but I mixed them up, till I labeled each knob with masking tape Training, as an operation, was a success, so today I pulled them off. My new stove thanked me.
Byrna Porter Weir
Rochester, N.Y.